Display device and display method

Abstract

An image signal line driver circuit includes first to third source drivers and fourth to sixth source drivers, which are respectively cascade-connected. The output duration of data signals that are provide to these source drivers is increasingly short on the source drivers that are connected further downstream (that is, the amount of pixel data to be output to the next stage is increasingly small). This reduces the power consumption and heat generation of the overall device. Moreover, the phases of the data signals are shifted, thereby reducing EMI. In this way, when a plurality of image signal line driver circuits are cascade-connected, heat generation and power consumption in each driver circuit and/or EMI therebetween is reduced.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A display device that displays images via a plurality of pixel formation regions arranged along a plurality of image signal lines for transmitting a plurality of image signals and along a plurality of scanning signal lines that intersect with the plurality of image signal lines, the display device comprising:
 a plurality of image signal line driver circuits that drive, in accordance with image signals representing the images, the plurality of image signal lines, each of the image signal line driver circuits driving a subset of the plurality of image signal lines assigned thereto, the plurality of image signal line driver circuits being grouped into one or more of circuit groups; 
 a scanning signal line driver circuit that selectively drives the plurality of scanning signal lines; and 
 a display control circuit that provides, to each circuit group of the plurality of image signal line driver circuits data signals corresponding to the image signals to be provided to the image signal line driver circuits in the circuit group, said data signals being provided by the display control circuit to only one of the image signal line driver circuits in the circuit group, 
 wherein the image signal line driver circuits in each circuit group are:
 a first-stage driver circuit that receives the data signals from the display control circuit; and 
 one or more later-stage driver circuits that are cascade-connected in order one-by-one after the first-stage driver circuit, 
 wherein the first-stage driver circuit provides to a second-stage driver circuit connected immediately downstream thereto only a portion of the data signals that is to be used in the one or more later-stage driver circuits in the circuit group, and
 wherein, when there are two or more of the later-stage driver circuits in the circuit group, each of the two or more later-stage driver circuits, except a last-stage driver circuit in the circuit group, provides, to a next-stage driver circuit that is immediately downstream thereof, only a portion of the data signals that is to be used in the next-stage driver circuit and further downstream later-stage driver circuits, if any
 wherein in each circuit group, the image signal line driver circuits are arranged in a series such that a last-stage driver circuit is arranged between the first-stage driver circuit and the second-stage driver circuit. 
 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The display device according to  claim 1 , wherein in each circuit group, each of the image signal line driver circuits, except the last-stage driver circuit, provides, to a next-stage drive circuit connected immediately downstream thereto, a portion of the data signals such that a phase of the portion of the data signals provided to the next-stage driver circuit is shifted from a phase of a corresponding portion of the data signals received by the image signal line driver circuit. 
     
     
       3. The display device according to  claim 1 , wherein with respect to each circuit group, among the data signals and the portions of the data signals that are provided between the display control circuit and a last-stage driver circuit in the circuit group, data signals or portions thereof that are transmitted via signal lines that exhibit relatively higher transmission loss are set to have a relatively greater amplitude than data signals or portions thereof that are transmitted via signal lines that exhibit relatively lower transmission loss. 
     
     
       4. The display device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plurality of image signal line driver circuits are disposed along a line, and are grouped into a first circuit group and a second circuit group that are arranged side-by-side, and 
 wherein the first-stage driving circuit of the first circuit group and the first-stage driving circuit of the second circuit group are disposed on respective outer ends of the line along which the plurality of image signal line driver circuits are disposed. 
 
     
     
       5. The display device according to  claim 4 , wherein the second stage-driver circuit of the first circuit group and the second-stage driver circuit of the second circuit group are disposed on respective innermost sides of the first circuit group and the second circuit group. 
     
     
       6. The display device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the display control circuit provides, to the first-stage driver circuit of each circuit group, detection signals that include order data indicating a cascade-connection order from the first-stage driver circuit to a last-stage driver circuit in the circuit group, 
 wherein in each circuit group, the first-stage driver circuit processes the order data to determine that the first-stage driver circuit is at a first stage in the cascade connection, and provides, to the second-stage driver circuit, only a portion of the detection signals that includes order data indicating ordinal positions of 2 or greater, to be processed by the one or more later-stage driver circuits in the circuit group, and 
 wherein, when there are two or more of the later-stage driver circuits, each of the later-stage driver circuits, except a last-stage driver circuit, provides, to a next-stage driver circuit that is immediately downstream thereof, only a portion of the detection signals to be processed by the next-stage driver circuit and further downstream later-stage driver circuits, if any. 
 
     
     
       7. A display device that displays images via a plurality of pixel formation regions arranged along a plurality of image signal lines for transmitting a plurality of image signals and along a plurality of scanning signal lines that intersect with the plurality of image signal lines, the display device comprising:
 a plurality of image signal line driver circuits that drive, in accordance with image signals representing the images, the plurality of image signal lines, each of the image signal line driver circuits driving a subset of the plurality of image signal lines assigned thereto, the plurality of image signal line driver circuits being grouped into one or more of circuit groups; 
 a scanning signal line driver circuit that selectively drives the plurality of scanning signal lines; and 
 a display control circuit that provides, to each circuit group of the plurality of image signal line driver circuits data signals corresponding to the image signals to be provided to the image signal line driver circuits in the circuit group, said data signals being provided by the display control circuit to only one of the image signal line driver circuits in the circuit group, 
 wherein the image signal line driver circuits in each circuit group are:
 a first-stage driver circuit that receives the data signals from the display control circuit; and 
 one or more later-stage driver circuits that are cascade-connected in order one-by-one after the first-stage driver circuit, 
 wherein the first-stage driver circuit provides to a second-stage driver circuit connected immediately downstream thereto only a portion of the data signals that is to be used in the one or more later-stage driver circuits in the circuit group, and
 wherein, when there are two or more of the later-stage driver circuits in the circuit group, each of the two or more later-stage driver circuits, except a last-stage driver circuit in the circuit group, provides, to a next-stage driver circuit that is immediately downstream thereof, only a portion of the data signals that is to be used in the next-stage driver circuit and further downstream later-stage driver circuits, if any,
 wherein in each circuit group, the cascade-connection of the image signal line driver circuits is switchable between two different connection schemes, 
 wherein the display control circuit alternately switches between the two connection schemes at a prescribed time interval, and 
 wherein the prescribed time interval is a multiple of one or more of a period during which one of the scanning signal lines is selectively driven by the scanning signal line driver circuit. 
 
 
 
 
     
     
       8. The display device according to  claim 7 , wherein an order of connection from the first-stage driver circuit to the last-stage driver circuit is reversed between the two connection schemes. 
     
     
       9. The display device according to  claim 7 , wherein the prescribed time interval is a period of one or more frames for displaying the images. 
     
     
       10. The display device according to  claim 7 , wherein in each circuit group, each of the image signal line driver circuits, except the last-stage driver circuit, provides, to a next-stage drive circuit connected immediately downstream thereto, a portion of the data signals such that a phase of the portion of the data signals provided to the next-stage driver circuit is shifted from a phase of a corresponding portion of the data signals received by the image signal line driver circuit. 
     
     
       11. The display device according to  claim 7 , wherein with respect to each circuit group, among the data signals and the portions of the data signals that are provided between the display control circuit and a last-stage driver circuit in the circuit group, data signals or portions thereof that are transmitted via signal lines that exhibit relatively higher transmission loss are set to have a relatively greater amplitude than data signals or portions thereof that are transmitted via signal lines that exhibit relatively lower transmission loss. 
     
     
       12. The display device according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the plurality of image signal line driver circuits are disposed along a line, and are grouped into a first circuit group and a second circuit group that are arranged side-by-side, and 
 wherein the first-stage driving circuit of the first circuit group and the first-stage driving circuit of the second circuit group are disposed on respective outer ends of the line along which the plurality of image signal line driver circuits are disposed. 
 
     
     
       13. The display device according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the display control circuit provides, to the first-stage driver circuit of each circuit group, detection signals that include order data indicating a cascade-connection order from the first-stage driver circuit to a last-stage driver circuit in the circuit group, 
 wherein in each circuit group, the first-stage driver circuit processes the order data to determine that the first-stage driver circuit is at a first stage in the cascade connection, and provides, to the second-stage driver circuit, only a portion of the detection signals that includes order data indicating ordinal positions of 2 or greater, to be processed by the one or more later-stage driver circuits in the circuit group, and 
 wherein, when there are two or more of the later-stage driver circuits, each of the later-stage driver circuits, except a last-stage driver circuit, provides, to a next-stage driver circuit that is immediately downstream thereof, only a portion of the detection signals to be processed by the next-stage driver circuit and further downstream later-stage driver circuits, if any. 
 
     
     
       14. A display method for displaying images via a plurality of pixel formation regions arranged along a plurality of image signal lines for transmitting a plurality of image signals and along a plurality of scanning signal line that intersect with the plurality of image signal lines, the display method comprising:
 an image signal line driving step of driving the plurality of image signal lines in accordance with image signals representing the images via a plurality of image signal line driving circuits that drive the plurality of image signal lines, each of the image signal line driver circuits driving a subset of the plurality of image signal lines assigned thereto, the plurality of image signal line driver circuits being grouped into one or more of circuit groups, 
 a scanning signal line driving step of selectively driving the plurality of scanning signal lines; and 
 a display control step of providing, to each circuit group of the plurality of image signal line driver circuits, data signals corresponding to the image signals to be provided to the image signals corresponding to the image signals to be provided to the image signal line driver circuits in the circuit group, said data signals being provided to only one of the image signal line driver circuits in the circuit group, 
 wherein the image signal line driver circuits in each circuit group are:
 a first-stage driver circuit that receives the data signal from the display control circuit; and 
 one or more later-stage driver circuits that are cascade-connected in order one-by-one after the first-stage driver circuit, 
 
 wherein the method further comprises, with respect to each circuit group:
 causing the first-stage driver circuit to provide to a second-stage driver circuit connected immediately downstream thereto only a portion of the data signals that is to be used in the one or more later-stage driver circuits in the circuit group; and
 when there are two or more of the later-stage driver circuits in the circuit group, causing each of the two or more the later-stage driver circuits, except a last-stage driver circuit, in the circuit group to provide, to a next-stage driver circuit that is immediately downstream thereof, only a portion of the data signals that is to be used in the next-stage driver circuit and further downstream later-stage driver circuits, if any,
 wherein in each circuit group, the cascade-connection of the image signal line driver circuits is switchable between two different connection schemes, 
 wherein the display control circuit alternately switches between the two connection schemes at a prescribed time interval, and 
 wherein the prescribed time interval is a multiple of one or more of a period during which one of the scanning signal lines is selectively driven by the scanning signal line driver circuit.